The Nature of Employment in a High Socio-economic Hardship Community: Data from the Greater Lawndale Healthy Work Survey

Objectives This cross-sectional survey aimed to examine employment characteristics and their associations with employment precarity in two high socioeconomic hardship Chicago neighborhoods. Methods We used a community-based participatory approach to develop and administer a survey to residents who perceived their work situations to be precarious. Results A total of 489 residents were surveyed. Responses were skewed toward the most precarious work situations, with the majority of respondents employed outside of a traditional arrangement. Those in the highest precarity category were most likely to identify as Latinx and born outside of the United States. Unstable, low-quality employment conditions were nearly all significantly associated with highest precarity work situations. Conclusions Precarious employment is an important predictor of other employment conditions, and characterizing these at a hyperlocal level allows for a nuanced understanding of work as a determinant of health.